The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1887-09-22
Scientific Americana
lsshmfan Shin Transit.

The interesting question as to a means of ship
transit across the American isihmus was dis
cussed at the recent meeting of the American
Association at Columbia College, this city, The
most important paper on the subject was by
Commander Taylor, o. s. Navy, who expressed
himself strongly 10 favor OF canal at Nicaragua
which locality he has visited His remarks upon
the proposed ship railway at Tehuantepec show
him to be less familiar with this project; bis
opinion thereon being directly opposed to that
of experienced engineers who have devoted time
and thought to the matter. He says the ship
railway project at Tehuantepec promises to be
as disastrous in its ending as that at Panama
Most engineers and shipbuilders, he says, doubt
the practicabity of the project, and fear the
sinking of entertainments and the racking of huls
of heavily loaded ships. He fears that the earn
est belief in this project held by its promoter,
the late Mr. Eads, and his past successes, would
cause credulous persons to enter into the visioa+
ary project .sjr. ,,,,,.-
If Commander Taylor, or any other who may
have similar doubts as to the pracicability Of
the ship railway project will take the trouble
to inquire into it's details they will not discover
any grounds for their fears. The principal OBJ
JeclOn TO the ship railway scheme would seem
to be its novelty There was like objection to
the employment of jetty system at the mouths
of the Mississippi. The dredge had been used
80 long on this river that the engineering world
had come to look on its use as almost statutory:
and though it had never accomplished anything
of lasting advantage, other means of clearing
channelways, If not based upon dredging, were
regarded as hazardous and visionary. Mr.. Eads
constructed his jetties on his own responsibility,
and showed popular expert opinion 10 be found
ed in error by permanently deepening the chan
mel ways Of the passes and making New Or.
leans once more q sea port.
Commander Taylors objections to the ship
railway scheme may be classed under two gen
eral heads: 1st, because Of she method Of hand
linz wr-l,s 80 k~r~na "a. n
IN his own words, 1.-The cost of railroad mo-
body can tell" Now, Commander Taylor, who
is skilltul navigator, would not hesitate To put
his ship into q floating dry dock, and would
look on with complacency while the water was
being pumped out OF the pontsons and the struc
lifted her high and dry. He has forced
his ship through driving seas without q
qualm. rs every other experienced sailor has
No one knows better than be that . well con:
structed ship 10 practically grder, specially
adapted to bear severe strain. A big steamer in
= heavy se.way often rests upon two waves, one
under her bows and the other under her sterr,
while the midship section has practically no
support from the water; and, again, her bows
will be almost out Of water and her screw " rae
ing" Her constructors prepared for this, and ia
putting her parts together they got unity out Of
navigation. neither of mathematics, to discover
that ship laboring in heavy seaway is called
upon to bear q far greater strain than she would
be while being hited out Of water in dry dock.
into . cradle, and then wheeled over q level
railway. This 10 30 obvious q not 10 require
any mathematical demonstration. '' y z
If there be any who do not think 90, let them
resort to fgures II 10 not enough 70 say thing
cannot be done or b impracticabls There
ought to be some specific reason, some data or
figures, 10 sustain the assertion. The biz iron
steamer Amerique ran up on to the New Jertev
coast at Seabright seme years ago" and altes
pounding her loaded hull on ythese sands fpr; 4
fortnight, lay exposed 70 the buffetin9 Of winter
gales for nearly three months. The wooden ship
Lornty, sunk IN New York Bay, withst0od an
the wrenching Of the chains passed aFouna hsr
bottom by The wreckess, and was finely hsopeAt
70 the suriacs unscathed. while the iron steamer
Welles City, sunk in the North River, under
went similar treatment In q wrenching tideway,
81 fAs - ths cosa Of the chip railway 10 CON-
csrped, II seems surprising thai % wellinformed
man ~ Commander Taylor should assert that
ship canal, which muSt bs constructed, for at
least part q iie way. through aTiver hiied With
raptds and falls. In country annually visited BY
than railway. Ship canal conslfuctton e rafe
the world Over, b1t = tnuch kaS tesn done u
the way of nilsuad building, thae h haS sirtnAlly
hecoma scion - lAsd Dae0 .. csgsfali survey, g
made e 4. pF0poeed line. = dI1tfste epgipeer WIN
compute the ameuut of cutting ind HlIinf ana
ba6lassin8 and The oo6e Al niIe shd taii laying
wtthsse.sshing spproathisg aexssessn.l .0p1.
nasasr r1eyassvcyTeaaooehly iooks npoe. tha.
gsQgre4Atostpedtioao of ofNImmguana - OpagiqrI II
tAat IL Pa1amns buconso, ahino felloWlne .ako
me0 1oqueoeed 0auho Wou14 saaHe ihaadgDdA. e